Method of burning low-volatile carbonaceous material



April 5 1932. c. B. HILLHOUSE METHOD OF BURNING LOW VOLATILE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL Filed Feb. 4, 1929 anvawcoz ;the invention is to Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES IB. HILLHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Application flledlebruary 4, 1929. Serial No'. 337,359.

This invention relates to a new and useful method of burning pulverized coke or other carbonaceous material, low or lacking in volatile matter; and the principal object of devise a method whereby non-volatile carbonaceous material unsuitable for burning by means and methods used in ordinary pulverized coal practice, may be satisfactorily and completely burned.

Other objects will be apparent as the .description proceeds, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. All of these objects are attained by means 51111 51 trated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a boiler or other heat receiving element provided with means for carrying into effect the method which is the principal object of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in both views.

In carrying this invention into effect, crushed coke or other non-volatile carbonaceous material is fed at velocity atone end of a cylindrical chamber or elongated burner and at a tangent to the inner wall of said burner passing helically to the other end of said chamber or burner where it is forced into and mixed with a reversely moving axial current of air so that a flame is produced which passes through the core (i. e. along the axis) of the burner. This flame preheats the incoming feed which surrounds it, so that the incoming feed has its temperature raised to at least as high a temperature as the ignition temperature of the fuel, so that a shorter flame is produced and of higher temperature than in ordinary practice. Carbon dust in suspension in the mediumwhich carries it in its helical path ofl'ers ideal conditions for being acted upon by the radiant heat of the flame, so the flame is not obliged to contact with the fuel feed in order to heat it.

It will, of course, be understood that the helical feed may be either up or down or in any direction so long as the flame passes through the center of the feed so as to preheat the fuel. It will also be understood that in order to start the operation of the apparatus it may be heated up with a pulverized coal flame, gas or oil, or electric means or in any desired manner.

Referring to the drawings in detail, represents a boiler or other device to be heated, shown in the drawings in diagrammatic form. 11 represents a cylindrical burner to which comminuted coke is fed from a hopper 12 by a conveyor 13. The conveyor 13 feeds coke to the burner 11 near one end of the latter and tangentially to the inner surface of the same and may feed through one or a multiplicity of inlets in the burner wall; and tan- C5 gential injectors or accelerators indicated at l inject the fuel at velocity into the burner, without producing combustion or chemical combination so that the fuel takes a helical path from the end near which it is injected toward the other end of the burner and following the inner wall of the latter.

The end of the burner 11 opposite to that at whichthe fuel is fed is curved inwardly and upwardly as at 15 so as to direct the stream of fuel toward the axis of the burner and back towardrthe end of the burner from which the fuel has been fed. A jet of air is passed into the burnerthrough the pipe 16 and mixing with the fuel which has been fed along the surface 15 produces an axial flame indicated by the dot and dash lines 17. This flame passing along the axis of the on-coming fuel, preheats it so that by the time this fuel reaches the point at which combustion is to occur, the fuel has attained a temperature which is at least the ignition temperature of the fuel so that a flame is immediately produced and this flame is a shorter flame than in present practice and an exceedingly hot Air which is fed to the pipe 16 is also preheated by drawing this air down between the burner 11 and a shell or jacket 18, said jacket 18 being so formed at 19 as to direct the heated air into the pipe 16.

What I claim is:

1. The method of burning carbonaceous material which consists in conducting the ma.- terialto be burned in a helical path along a burner wall and in the presence of an axial flame ositioned within said path and of then directing the material in another direction into the flame for combustion and in conduct ing air for combustion along the exterior of the burner wall and then directing the same to the burner for combustion.

2. The method of burnin carbonaceous material which consists in con ucting the material to be burned in one direction in a helical path along a burner and in the resence of a flame positioned axially ofsald path, maintainin the material and flame in a relation to pre eat said material without .-combustion thereof, and of then directin the material in another direction into said ame for combustion.

3. The method of burning carbonaceous material which consists in conducting the material to be burnedin one direction in a helical path along a burner wall and in the presence of a flame positioned axially of said path, thereby preheating said material without combustion thereof, and of then directing the material in another direction into said flame for combustion of said material and in conducting air for combustion along the exterior of the burner wall thereby to cool the burner wall, and then directing the air to the flame for combustion.

4. The method of burnin carbonaceous material which consists in conducting the material to be burned in one direction along a helical path and without combustion of said material, establishing a combustion zone axially of said helical path to preheat said material, supplying air axially into said zone to maintain combustion therein and feeding the preheated material into said combustion zone.

5. A method of burning comminuted carbonaceous material low in volatile matter, which consists in feeding said material to a furnace in a helical path, establishing a flame axially within said helical path in a position to preheat said material prior to combustion thereof, and then passing said preheated material into the flame to cause complete combustion of said material.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

CHARLES B. HILL OUSE. 

